Some people wake up easily. I do not. No part of sleep is easy or fun for me: I struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up multiple times nightly. Waking up is made less acceptable when a bleeting phone alarm goes off two feet from your ears. But no more! Today, Nintendo announced Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo. Alarmo is pure Nintendo — it is quirky and colourful, nobody else has done it before, and it will either do exceptionally well or fail miserably. It was also a hardware announcement nobody expected or necessarily wanted, as the masses eagerly await the proper announcement of the Switch’s successor.
Alarmo is no ordinary digital alarm clock. Despite its retro-inspired exterior, it’s got contemporary technology inside. Its motion sensor will respond to your movements so you can snooze your alarm with motion and stop it by actually getting out of bed.
Currently, it features 35 scenes inspired by five games: Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Splatoon 3, Pikmin 4, and Ring Fit Adventure. (More alarms from new titles will be added via free updates, including Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Mario Kart Deluxe 8.) After choosing your preferred scene, set a time — Alarmo will do the rest of the work. You will experience immersive sounds and music from your chosen scene when the alarm goes off.
There are two modes for the alarm, Steady and Gentle. The alarm will gradually become more intense as you stay in bed longer. in Steady Mode; Gentle Mode provides consistent sound intensity. If you’re looking for a more tactile experience, you can use Button Mode. Alarmo also has features that let you check Records to see how much you move in your sleep and set an hourly chime that matches your chosen title.
Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo is available now in North America, but only via the Nintendo Store and only for Nintendo Switch Online members. It will be available via other retail sellers beginning in early 2025. The suggested retail price is US$99.99 (or $129.99 for my fellow Canadians). It is also available at the Nintendo NY store, where no membership is required.
Forbes calls Alarmo “pointless and overpriced,” but I think it could be successful heading into the holiday season. Its pure Nintendo flavour could do well with fans of the brand. It’s cute and colourful, and it just screams (literally) joy. It does irk me that Alarmo is limited to Nintendo Switch Online members until next year, but c’est la vie.
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